V’ger? Is that you?

By Evan Bernstein, on May 17th, 2010

On May 6, it was reported that the Voyager 2 spacecraft was experiencing transmission issues. Voyager 2 is 8.6 billions miles away, which is an astonishing accomplishment. As the years go by, time only adds to the true magnitude of this human achievement.

The cause of the issue was unknown at the time, but speculation was that cosmic rays played some havoc with Voyager 2’s computers. NASA scientists believe they can work around the problem or outright fix it. Only time will tell.

On May 11, it was reported in the German newspaper Bild that an “academic” (which means he’s written books about UFO’s, ancient astronauts, and extra-terrestrial pyramid building assistance) named Hartwig Hausdorf has offered a hypothesis that perhaps aliens have reprogrammed/hijacked Voyager 2 and are sending back strange signals as a means of communication.

What is funny is that this theory is probably Hausdorf’s most realistic thought he has ever offered on the subject of extra terrestrials. There is obviously no evidence to support his claim, but if you think about Carl Sagan’s novel turned movie ‘Contact’, this hypothesis is not implausible. However, it is extremely unlikely, and we need an equivalent amount of evidence to weigh against this extraordinary claim. We need to eliminate all other possibilities, starting with the most plausible ideas, such as cosmic ray bombardments. The UFO crowd has an insatiable habit of projecting their beliefs and wishes upon reality and offering it is evidence.

Thanks to SGU listener Daniel from Ireland for bringing this story to my attention.